Engine



Jan. 27, 1942. c. GARDNEI 2,271,068

ENGINE Original Filed March 25, 1933 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 CO 6) N B if LI) 521 d Q Q o 2 I t\ I l 2 1\. I I z 29 3 O I r N {I L I 3 i I 2 2 I I g 1 d b o I E fiance 1M ATTORNEY.

942. c. GARDNER 2,271,068

ENGINE Original Filed March 25, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

r M ATT RNEY.

Jan. 27, 1942. c. GARDNER 2,271,063

ENGINE Original Filed March 25, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 27, 1942 UNITED STATE s PATEN T 4 OFFICE v mama Cummings Gardner, Los Angelel, cum, allignor to Rotomotor Corporation, W a corporation of Delaware ashington, D. 0.,

v Original app ication March 25, 1933, Serial No.

Divided and this application January 18, 1939,-Serial No. mass 7 Claims. (01. 230-144) engine and a compressor, each embodying relatively movable, sector-like pistons in combination with common control means therefor.

Another object is to provide a novel power plant, particularly adapted for use in aircraft, the construction being such that a straight and hollow power shaft may be'used.

The above and further objects and novel features will more fully appear hereinafter when the detailed description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be 'prisinga cylindrical vessel Isa having a suitable end plate llb is positioned adjacent the center offplate I2 to receive a lubricant under pressure expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration only and are not definitions of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section and with parts broken away, of one embodiment of a rotary internal combustion engine and a compressor in combination therewith;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 of Fig. l; r

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section and with parts broken away, the view being taken substantially on line III-III of Fig, 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, illustrating certain parts of the mechanism in firing position;

Fig. 5 is a detail view, partly in section and with parts broken away, illustrating one form of control means for the cylinders which may be employed in the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view illustrating a preferred mounting for the pistons.

The form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, comprises an engine having a cylinder l0 and a compressor having a cylinder H, the cylinders being coaxially disposed and having a power shaft l2 extending therethrough. The outer ends of the cylinders are enclosed by plates l3. The inner ends of the cylinders are enclosed in a manner to later appear. An oil reservoir comwhich may flow internally to cylinders i0 and Ii through suitable conduits (not shown).

The piston arrangements within cylinders l0 and II are duplicates, with the exception that the latter cylinder and the arrangement therein is smaller than the former. Therefore, it is necessary that only the pistons shown, for example,

in the right-hand cylinder be illustrated and described in detail. v

A plurality of sector-shaped pistons l6 and I! (Fig. 6) are mounted for rotation within the cylinder iii. In the embodiment shown, four pistons are employed in each cylinder, the pistons being arranged in diametrically-disposed and rigidly connected pairs. Piston I6 is secured as by means of allenhead screws I8 which pass through the inner walls of said pistons to a hub I! which is substantially one-half the length of said pistons, one end of the hub being substantially flush with one end of the piston. Preferably, the hub is provided with a longitudinally extending recess or groovella (Fig. 6) to receive a portion of the piston which projects slightly from the inner face of the latter, the project-.

ing portion being substantially one-half the length of the piston, i, e., equal to the length of the hub Is. This construction, together with screws I8 and a dowel pin 20, insures an extremely rigid connection between the pistons and the hub IS. The latter is rigidly connected as by 'means of splines I! (Fig. 1) to the power shaft i2 which may be termed a cylinder power shaft. The opposite ends of th cylinder power shaft are rotatably mounted in bearings 2| which are located in each of the outer end plates of cylinders i0 and II.

Surrounding the power shaft i2 within the cylinder .but annularly spaced therefrom is a sec- (and hub 22 of the same length and outer diameter as hub l9. Piston ll (Fig. 6) is secured to this second hub in the same manner as the first-named pair of pistons are secured to hub i9. It will thus be seen that one-half of the pistons I 6 overhang the hub 22, while one-half of the pistons II overhang the hub IS.

The relative angular movements between pistons i8 and ll of cylinder i0 and analogous pistons 23 and 24 within the cylinder ll must be controlled in a predetermined manner in order, for example, to create within the'cylinder III a suction whereby a combustible mixture may be drawn into the engine to compress the charge are splined to hub 22 within cylinder ities to the arms length. It will be noted that arms 23 and and subsequently to exhaust the burned gases from the cylinder. Control means are provided for this purpose and in addition said control means are effective to convert the forces of explosion in the cylinder into a torque which is transmitted to power shaft l2 to rotate the same. Since common control means are employed for both cylinders, a similar motion is imparted to pistons 23 and 24 for purposes of compressing a suitable fluid in a manner to appear later.

The above mentioned common control means comprise, in the form shown, sleeves 25 which ill and to an analogous hub 22a within cylinder II. The sleeves extend through openings in suitable adjacent end plates 26 of the cylinders into a housing 21 for said control mechanism, the housing being secured by any suitable means, such as studs Na and Ila extending through flanges of the housing, to the adjacent ends of cylinders and II respectively. Each sleeve is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed arms 28 (Fig. 5) provided at the outer ends thereof with apertured and longitudinally extending portions 29, the adjacent ends of said portions being in abutting engagement. Pairs of links 30 are pivotally connected intermediate their extrem- 28 as by means of suitable pivot pins 3i which extend through portions 29.

Shaft I2 is provided with a pair of diametrically disposed arms 32, the outer ends of which carry longitudinally extending apertured portions 33 to which are pivoted, intermediate their extremities, by means of bolts 34, suitable links 35 which are similar to links 30.

The outer ends of links 35 are apertured to receive a sleeve 35 (Fig. 3) which surrounds a pivot pin 31 having the opposite ends thereof of reduced diameter. The pairs of links 30 have pivotal connection with the reduced ends of the pins 31 and as above mentioned, are pivoted intermediate their ends on pins 3|. There is thus cylinder if desired. Cylinder II is also provided with an exhaust port 4! and with one or more threaded openings 43 to receive spark plugs 41. As will be understood by those skilled in the art. openings 43 may be operatively associated with one or more carburetors (not shown).

A timer mechanism is provided for controlling the flow of current from a source such as a battery (not shown) to spark plugs 41. The mechanism, in the form shown, comprises a flanged housing 43 secured to the oil reservoir 13a by suitable means (not shown). The housing surrounds shaft l2. Positioned for limited angular movement within housing 43 is a ring (not shown) carrying contacts 48, one of which is preferably stationary and the other adapted for movement into and out of engagement therewith, said movement being'produced by a cam Ill mounted upon shaft i2 within housing 43. A v suitable pin (not shown) attached to said ring projects through an elongated slot II in housing 43 and is provided with a knurled head 52. Movement of said head and pin therefore will advance or retard the spark.

In operation, a starter mechanism (not shown) which may have operative engagement with the projecting portion of shaft 12, is employed to rotate said shaft and the pistons I8, l1

- and 23, 24. As the pistons l6, l1 rotate past inlet 43 (Fig. 4) the control means, including the cam 39, are effective to retard the annular movement of pistons l1 relative to the constantly moving pistons IS. A chamber 53 provided between the adjacent faces of said pistons and the cylinder wall is thereby increased in volume and the suction thus produced is effective to draw a combustible charge into the chamber. rotation of the pistons and the elements of the control means is effective to increase the speed of pistons l1 with respect to pistons it, whereupon the volume of chamber 53 is decreased and the combustible charge is compressed. When provided a parallelogram comprising two pairs of links 35 and two pairs of links 30, all of which are of the same length as are the pairs of arms 28 and 32.

Means are provided for insuring that the linkage above described will impart a predetermined oscillation to the pistons l1 and 23 and pistons l6 and 24 relative to power shaft l2, whereby said pistons will have the necessary relative angular movement to carry out the firing and compressing cycle referred to above. For this pur-' pose sleeves 38 carry anti-friction rollers 33, one roller being provided for each corner of the linkage parallelogram, said rollers having engagement with an internal cam 33 which, in the form shown, is constituted by the inner wall of housing 21. Preferably, the cam is generally elliptical in shape, the opposite end walls thereof being substantially semi-circular while the side' walls are parallel for a major portion of their having the projecting apertured portions, are recessed as at 40 to provide clearance for rollers 38, thus permitting the use of rollers of large diameter.

, Since the control means. moves the pistons -23 and 24 twice to a compressing position during each revolution of said pistons, the compressor preferably includes two intake ports 4| and two outlet ports 42. Intake openings 43 are provided for the cylinder Ill closely adjacent a cylinder base 44, which may be cast integrally with the the pistons have rotated to such a position that the compressed charge in chamber 53 is opposite the spark plugs 41, the timer is effective to close the circuit to the plug, thereby igniting the charge. The linkage ofthe control means now resolves the force of explosion into a resultant torque that is impressed on the cylinder power shaft i2 whereby the latter is rotated. As the pistons continue to rotate in a counter-clockwise direction past the exhaust port 45, the control mechanism again moves pistons l1 at a rate faster than that at which pistons ii. are moving, whereby the volume of the chamber 53 is decreased and the burned gases are forced outwardly through said port.

The control means imparts an identical relative oscillatory movement to the pistons 23, 24, thereby moving said pistons to a compressed position twice during each revolution thereof. At the instant a charge is being ignited in cylinder l3, maximum compression is obtained in cylinder H by the compressor, and the air or other fluid being compressed is discharged through one of the outlet ports 42 to a suitable pressure tank.

There is thus provided a power plant of simple construction, light weight and small size in combination with a compressor having similar advantages. The use of common control means, as in the form shown, reduces the weight and cost of manufacture. No distributor is required for the engine, since the charge is always fired at the same position in the cylinder. It has been.

Further result from this fact, due to the coolingcapacity of the cooling fluid which passes around the cylinder and also due to the rapid scavenging action of the engine.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the same is not limited thereto. Various changes may be 'made in the design and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference will be had primarily to the appended claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a power plant, a pair of coaxially disposed cylinders, a power shaft extending throu h said cylinders, pistons in each of the cylinders rigidly connected to said shaft, a sleeve.

. opposite sides of the axis of rotation of said shaft, and means for pivotally connecting said interconnected arms to said pair of arms.

2. In a power plant, a pair of coaxially disposed cylinders, a continuous power shaft extending through said cylinders, a sleevein each of said cylinders mounted for limited rotary movement on said shaft, said sleeves extending exteriorly of the cylinders, pistons in each cylinder rigidly connected to said power shaft, pistons in each cylinder rigidly connected to said sleeves, and control means for-operatively connecting the sleeves and shaft, said control means including pairs of arms rigidly connected to the sleeves, the arms on' one sleeve having abutting engagement with the arms on the other sleeve, means for rigidly interconnecting said abutting arms, arms on the power shaft extending between each of the pairs of arms, pairs of links for connecting the power sh'aft arms to the sleeve arms, rollers carried by said links, and a cam engaged by the rollers.

of coaxially disposed cylinders, a shaft extending coaxially therethrough, a sleeve in each cylinder mounted on said shaft for angular movement relative thereto, pistons in each cylinder connected to said shaft, pistons in each cylinder connected to said sleeves, and means including only one linkage mechanism for drivably connecting both of said sleeves to said shaft and controllsililigfltlhe movement of said sleeves relative to said 4. In apparatus of the classdescribed, a pair of coaxially disposed cylinders, a shaft extending coaxially therethrough, means mounted on said shaft for angular movement relative thereto, a plurality of relatively movable pistons positioned in each of saidicylinders on said shaft and means, and common means including only one linkage mechanism and only one endless cam surface disposed between said cylinders for controlling the relative movement of the pistons in the cylinders.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a pair of coaxially disposed cylinders, a plurality of pistons in each cylinder, means including coaxial, relatively movable members rotatable insaid cylinders for connecting the pistons in one of said cylinders to the pistons in the other of said cylinders, and unitary control means for said pistons including only one linkage mechanism and only one continuous cam surface whereby pistons in each cylinder h'ave relative angular.

movement when the same revolve about the axis of said cylinder.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a pair of coaxially disposed cylinders, a shaft extending therethrough, pistons in each cylinder rigidly connected to said shaft, a sleeve in each cylinder sleeves and constituting a parallelogram for operatively connecting said rollers to said pairs of arms, and a cam engaged by said rollers.

7. In apparatus of the class described, a pair 7 of coaxially disposed cylinders, a shaft extending through said cylinders, a sleeve in each of said cylinders extending exteriorly thereof and rotatably mounted on said shaft, pistons in each cylinder rigidly connected to said shaft, pistons in each cylinder rigidly connected to said sleeves,

and control means for controlling the movement of said sleeves relative to said shaft, said control means including a pair of arms on each of said sleeves, means connecting the outer ends of one 1 pair of said arms to corresponding outer ends of the other pair of said arms, a pair of arms secured to said shaft and operable between the adiacent ends of said sleeves, means 'operatively connecting said first-named arms with said second-named arms including a plurality of rollers, and a cam engaged by said rollers. CUMMINGS GARDNER. 

